Interpersonal Networking

Project Management Training Part 3

In part 2 we saw how "rapport" is like having a strong bridge between islands. If you have good rapport with someone then you can ask more of them when you need help.

One drawback of bridges between islands, however, is that they can take a long time to build. If you wait until you need help to build a relationship, then it is too late.

'Interpersonal Networking' is establishing rapport with people in advance of the need. It is an important activity that you should be working on all the time, to build bridges in preparation for the time when you will need to place a load or demand on the relationship.

That is, networking is developing contacts, relationships or friendships with people whom you may need to influence, in your job, in the near or long term future.

Network Analysis

The following activity will help you assess your current network and decide where you need to invest more time in developing a better relationship.

Complete the table below, as follows:

• Think of six people who you need to influence as part of your project.They might be people such as:
  
  

  • customers
    
    
  • project sponsor
    
    
  • project board members
    
    
  • suppliers
    
    
  • other managers (eg: line managers of team members)
    
    
  • team members
    
    
• Write the names of those six people at the top of each of the six grey boxes below.
  
  
• Answer the four questions underneath the name, using the drop-down boxes provided. These questions are:
  
  
  • How important is it to the project that you can influence each person?
    
    NB: This should not reflect how important the person is per se, but the importance of your relationship to the success of the project.
    
    
  • How good is your current level of rapport with that person, or how well do you get on?
    
    
  • How frequently do you meet?
    
    
  • How much help does the person provide you, when you ask for it?

When you have completed all the questions:

• scroll down to the bottom section
  
  
• click the "Analyse" button
  
  
• read and complete the final section at the bottom of the page

Project Management Training

Overview

Individuals

Trust and Rapport

Networking

Winning Commitment

Listening

Using Power

Delegation

Conflicts

Small Teams

Group Conflicts

Team Development

Managing Difference

Communication

Team Islands

In/Out Groups

Building the wider team

Large Projects

Project Culture

Putting it all together

Network Analysis

The next article in this online course is: